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Could Austria’s digital ‘Covid passport’ idea restart summer travel?

Travel agencies in Austria are calling on the national government and EU to back a digital "Covid passport” to save the summer travel season.

Published: 4 February 2021 21:16 CET

Could Austria's digital 'Covid passport' idea restart summer travel?

A policeman stands in front of an Air Austria poster at Vienna Airport. Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP

The proposed mobile app would allow travellers to show their test results, antibody status and any Covid-19 vaccinations they have had, drawing inspiration from a Danish initiative.

Such an app would eliminate the costly processing of paper evidence and the patchwork of different travel standards, argued Vienna Airport CEO Günther Ofner.

He says since the airport in Vienna was the first in the world to introduce PCR testing, more than 130,000 tests have been carried out at the airport.

The airport joined with a group of travel agencies to call on the Austrian government to take immediate action to introduce such an app, with others already in the pipeline.

The International Air Transport Association is developing the IATA Travel Pass, already supported by some airlines. And the World Economic Forum is working on a CommonPass.

Denmark is looking at a way to create a national digital vaccination certificate which could be used in cultural and business settings, as well as with travel agencies and the airport.

UPDATED: Which countries are now on Austria's quarantine list?

There is much at stake. Tourism contributes over six percent of Austrian GDP, mostly from skiing.

Meanwhile, Vienna Airport is majority-owned by provinces of Lower Austria and Vienna.

This year the airport is expecting 12.5m passengers, 60 percent more than last year, but still less than half the pre-pandemic figure.

On its slowest day last year there were just 154.

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How much can you expect to pay for private healthcare in Vienna?

In Austria, private healthcare works alongside the public healthcare system. If you want private care, you typically need to sign up for private healthcare insurance or pay out of pocket initially and later seek reimbursement.

The cost of private healthcare in Vienna can vary depending on factors such as the type of treatment, the provider, and insurance coverage. In general, private healthcare services tend to be significantly more expensive than the services provided by the public system.

Private healthcare insurance

The monthly cost for private healthcare insurance in Vienna averages around €30 for children and between €45 and €100 for adults.

The cost is determined by your age, health status, and anticipated healthcare needs. When you apply for private insurance, your health and medical history are usually examined.

Signing up for private healthcare insurance at an early age often means lower costs. Existing health insurance contracts are adjusted annually for inflation only, without further adjustments.

UNIQA, Wiener Städtische, Generali Health Insurance, Mercury, Allianz Health Insurance, and the Danube are among the largest and best-known providers of private healthcare insurance in Vienna.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What is a Wahlartzt in Austria?

How does it work?

Every policy is different, but most private insurance work with the public companies, especially since most workers in Austria are insured with one of the public companies via their work or employment – with the majority of them insured by ÖGK.

When you go to an elective doctor in Austria, you will pay out of pocket for your appointment. Later, you’ll need to ask for reimbursement from your compulsory public insurance company. Once you receive confirmation of the reimbursement, you’ll send all documents (including doctor fees and the public reimbursement) to your private insurance, which will pay the difference between what you paid at the doctor and what you got back from your public insurance.

This is typically done online and could even be partially automated, with doctors sending their fees and payment notes directly to public insurance.

Pay out-of-pocket

If you do not want to sign up for private healthcare insurance, you can stay with your public one, pay out of pocket if you need private services, and later receive a partial reimbursement.

In general, a visit to a private practitioner costs between €80 and €120, and a visit to a specialist (orthopaedist, dermatologist, cardiologist) between €150 and €200 in the Austrian capital.

The amount of money you can get back if you go to a private doctor varies depending on several factors, including your health insurance company and the specific services provided by the doctor.

For example, with the most common public insurance, Österreichische Gesundheitskasse, ÖGK, around 80 percent of the amount that ÖGK would have spent if the doctor was linked to the public system is reimbursed. It is important to note that this does not correspond to 80 percent of your medical bill but to 80 percent of what ÖGK would have paid for your treatment at a public doctor, which is significantly lower than the amount listed on your bill.

Fewer public doctors in Vienna

In Vienna, there has recently been a decrease in the number of public doctors and an increase in the number of private ones.

Experts believe the reasons are stressful working conditions and limited numbers of contracts for doctors with public healthcare insurance. Public doctors are said not to take enough time for each patient, as the number of patients determines the profit.

Over the past six years, the increase in private doctors has been particularly notable for doctors specialising in dermatology (rising from 58 percent to 71 percent) and urology (increasing from 55 percent to 62 percent).

READ NEXT: Healthcare in Austria: Why are there fewer ‘public’ doctors?

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